Take some notes from your identity question session. So, if you’re in an elevator with someone and you’ve got 30 seconds to describe what your music is like, what would you tell them? Take notes The elevator pitch is just as important for a band or artist as it is for the founder of a company-you should be able to succinctly describe what it is you do. Elevator pitch your sound: what are the key words? Think about the emotions you want your listeners to have when they hear your album. Music can sometimes feel intangible-how could you describe it in words? But whenever someone makes music, they have an idea of how they want people to respond to it. What do you want your listeners to feel when they hear your music? Both image and typography driven, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours cover is a classic. Figuring out who that is can help you cater your album design to their interests. Who are you trying to reach with your songs? Who are the kinds of people standing in the front row of your show? While it’s a great goal to reach everyone with your music, you likely have a slightly narrower audience.

Who is your audience?īefore you jump to answer “everyone,” think about this one a little more deeply.

You can get as existential with this one as you like, but really focus on who you are as an artist, band, musician, etc. Instead of launching right into ideas for your cover, focus on doing a little identity quest first-it will help you later when it comes to thinking about design. You might be tempted to immediately start sketching your vision for your album cover, but the first step in any design process should always be to take a few steps away from the design entirely. ContentsĪn eye-catching album cover from designer Shwin Before you start your design process We’ve assembled a comprehensive guide to designing your album cover, from the early brainstorming stages to finding the design style that syncs perfectly with your music. A great album cover can inspire someone to fish your vinyl out of the stack, encourage a streaming listener to learn more about you, and add a whole new layer of artistry to your work.Īlthough having an original and expressive album cover design is important, the process itself doesn’t have to be daunting.

It’s your chance to catch the attention of new listeners and give a visual representation of the music within. They say to never judge a book by its cover, and while we’d like to think that the same goes for albums-it’s the music on the inside that counts-there’s something to be said for a well-designed album cover.

Thank me later album art